In two weeks, the council will likely draft another version. It will be the fourth try at getting a plan the mayor will support.

At the council meeting Monday evening, leaders chose not to fight Gonzales Mayor Barney Arceneaux's veto. Arceneaux has vetoed this portion of the budget three times.

Arceneaux has been at odds with the spending plan over additional funding for the police department, which was removed by an amendment by three council members. The quibble falls on about $110,000 that the police chief wants to buy new cruisers.

Arceneaux did not veto the general fund budget, which slashed funding to the Ascension Economic Development Corp but will allow employees to get a 2 percent pay raise.****************Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltz